ABSTRACT
The energy consumption in conventional fi lters and centrifuges ranges typically from 0.5 to 10 kWh/m3 of the suspension to be separated (Rippenger, 1998). The lower values apply to coarse particles and incompressible cakes where water is removed by bulk and fi lm drainage. The higher values are expected for fi ne particles and pasty materials, such as biosolids that form compressible cakes, where water is removed by compaction and expression. Regarding latent heat of water evaporation, mechanical solid-liquid separation is 100-1000 times less energy-intensive than thermal drying. Thus, an intelligent combination of mechanical dewatering (MDW) and fi nish drying could reduce the thermal load on the dryers and therefore lower production costs.
